The Art Of Mending Time (Remake)
by LivingDemon28
Summary: Kakashi and Sakura are sent on a mission that would have been suicidal. The fourth shinobi war has ended leaving Sakura as the only surviving member of the Konoha twelve and Kakashi to bury another teammate. Now Tsunade gives them one last chance to make things right and sends back to when the entire mess started. (Time travel, ShikaSaku and other couples) (Humur as third genre)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: To those of you who waited forever for me to update TAOMT I apologise. I've been going through some rough patches in my life and lost the will to write. It took me a while but I will not be abandoning this story, I'll just be starting things a new, hopefully with a better concept. Thank you to those who waited patiently and still stuck with me through everything, you guys are the best. This is going to be a remake version of TAOMT. It's a ShikaSaku story, so if you don't like the pairing then don't read. For the rest of you happy reading.**

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Naruto.**

*****XXX*****

**Chapter 1**

The wind blew up the dust and rubble as the cave began to collapse around them.

She made a half-assed job in an attempt to cover her nose, no need to kick start dust allergies. Sakura grabbed Kakashi by the scruff of his shirt before diving out of the cave just in the nick of time, saving them both from the hands of death once again. She had sustained some nasty bruises along with a slight cracking in the humerus of her left arm. However, Kakashi was worse for wear having snapped his scapula in half, his patella had a deep dent in it, a broken femur and a cracked ribcage. This excludes the second degree burns that they both sustained. Their uniforms were tattered beyond repair, torn so badly it couldn't be considered as clothes at all. Sakura healed Kakashi's bones first, albeit a painful process but it had to be done. Once she was done she began to heal his wounds. She needn't heal herself since her regeneration jutsu kicked in.

The mission had been suicide in its worst form. She sincerely hoped that Tsunade had not won any gambles lately. She was glad her mentor, had she sent anybody else it would have literally been like committing suicide.

A letter sent from the village hidden in the moon had been sent to Konoha requesting two of its strongest shinobi to escort the "princess" of wind back to her home. After all she was the daimyou's daughter. The mission scroll seemed believable enough at first. However, as they made their way to the village hidden under the moon they could have sworn that they were being followed. Having checked multiple times, they put it off as exhaustion and paranoia but that didn't stop them from being put on the edge.

They darted across the border of the fire country at breakneck paste to finish their mission, because they had a feeling that something was off. Five miles into the rocky terrain their suspicions were confirmed. They had been followed by twenty Abu ranked Iwa shinobi. They had literally been undetectable.

The Anbu circled them as Kakashi and Sakura stood back to back, kunai's drawn. The Anbu attacked first, they were mostly lightning and earth jutsu users with the occasionally rare fire jutsu user. Sakura drew chakra to her fist slamming it into the earth causing the formation of a fissure which swallowed two Anbu who last their footing. Really clumsy for were down to fifteen as Kakashi took down three should have trusted their instincts and known that this was a trap from the start. There was twenty million ryo bounty on both their heads respectively and a flee on sight warning that hasn't been seen the late Yondaime Hokage in the bingo books. It was more of a warning to those sane enough to take them on. However, there was no time to dwell on past one yanked her by her hair but she managed to throw him off with a sharp punch to the gut knocking him into a boulder. Adrenalin was sky high in the tense atmosphere willing away any physical pain that the two Konoha shinobi were feeling.

They were down to ten now. Sakura's chakra was depleting drastically. Kakashi had half of his reserves left. Things were starting to look very bleak for the two wary ninjas. An Anbu had sent a kick aiming for Sakura's back but ended up kicking Kakashi's patella as he jumped to block it.

They were currently in a sticky situation with no idea how to get out. It seems they have to pull a page out of Naruto's book and just wing it. Of all the times they need the knuckle headed ninja.

The three Anbu that had been left manage to corner them in a cave to avoid Sakura using her chakra enhanced strength on them. That really was a smart move on their part nobody wants to be a slug sannin's practice dummy. She couldn't use her strength without causing the cave to collapse on them. There was a massive rock situated next to the carnation haired woman. She picked it up and slammed it into the nearest Anbu knocking him unconscious possibly killing him. Sweat and grime stuck to their bodies like sand to wet skin.

"Well you two seem incredibly stronger than what we pegged you for." The captain said.

"Well yeah, that we would be us." She retorted between ragged breathes. She needed to get back into shape, all those endless hours at the hospital were no good for her stamina and physical strength. When she got back to the village she would request time off to get back into shape. Tsunade was always telling her to take a break anyway. Now she had an excuse too.

"Such fiery spirit, you would have been a great companion, how unfortunate that I have to kill you instead." He said.

"Sorry I'm not straight jacket material just yet. Cocky Iwa shinobi, even wear their forehead protectors around their necks assuming that they'd be able to kill us, wait till Tsunade-sama hears about this." Kakashi muttered.

She stifled her laughter at the look on the Anbu captain's face. He looked slightly scared at the mention of their Hokage. He ran forward his katana ready to strike them down. In the background metal clashing with metal could be heard as Kakashi fought the remaining Anbu as she took on the captain.

"I guess it's just you and me pinky. Don't worry when I'm done with you I'll take good care of Hatake over there." He taunted her.

"Over my dead body you will." She snarled.

"That's what I'm planning my dear."

"Bring it on Porky."

She launched forward fighting till her chakra almost boarded on depletion. She managed to ensnare him in one of her complex genjutsu while Kakashi placed the other Anbu under the Tsukuyomi. She punched the ground which lead to their current predicament. With the last ounce of her chakra she managed to summon her largest summon, the white phoenix, Akemi.

"Hime-chan! What happened!" Akemi shrieked at seeing her mistress and companion in such blustered and vulnerable state.

"Akemi-chan do you think you can manage to carry us back to Konoha?" She asked before blacking out.

"Anything for you Hime-chan." Akemi said to the unconscious pinkette before her.

Sakura opened her eyes occasionally to find that she was till in Akemi's talon flying as fast her wings could carry her. She looked over at Kakashi eying for any injuries that she might have missed. He was still unconscious. She fell into darkness, once again letting fatigue take over. Akemi flew faster once Konoha came into view. She landed in front of the hospital transferring the unconscious shinobi to her wings. The medics came rushing out taking them from her grasp.

*****XXX*****

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN TWO OF MY FINEST SHINOBI HAVE BEEN HOSPITALISED COMING FROM A SIMPLE ESCORT MISSION!" The blonde Hokage roared. She was sporting a splitting hangover the news wasn't helping at all. Rubbing her temples vigorously in order to contain her anger and will away the obsessive hangover as the Chunin quivered in his sandals. Nobody wanted to be near Konoha's firecracker of a hokage when she was hungover, angry or after dealing with the knuckleheaded Naruto. The only one who could match her strength and temper was currently hospitalised.

"You're dismissed. " Tsunade seethed. The poor Chunin couldn't get out of there fast enough, not wanting to be near the irritable hokage. He thanked his lucky stars that he was alive and that she didn't chuck her desk at him, he was still in one piece. His heart however felt permanently logged in his oesophagus.

She stood up from her seat and made a beeline towards the hospital leaving petrified shinobi and civilians in her wake. Konoha was left in disarray after Pein's attack. Then the war started. Sakura was all that was left of her generation. Kakashi took it extremely hard having to bury more of his teammates while he stayed alive, it was some cruel trick of fate. Kami-sama was openly mocking them.

Tsunade was beginning to lose the constant battle with the council who wanted to appoint Sakura as Rokudaime hokage. She knew neither Kakashi nor Sakura could bear it in their hearts to take Naruto's dream. They said that they had the village's best interest at heart. However, Tsunade knew better than to believe the words of senile bats. They thought her a fool but she knew better, a hell of a lot better. They thought that they could get Sakura to play submissive and compliant but boy have they never been more wrong. Tsunade busted through the hospital doors startling all the medics within the vicinity. She stalked towards the receptionist's desk.

"Where are they?" Tsunade barked.

"Ro-oom 272 Hokage-sama." The terrified receptionist stuttered.

Tsunade hastily made her way to the room trying to reign anger before it got the better of her. Pausing in front of the hospital room, she gently pushed the door beeping sound of the heart monitor sounded through the room. Their once laboured breathing had evened out to deep, steady breathes. A few bruises littered their faces. Her heart broke at the sight. To think the once infamous and indestructible team seven was reduced to this, the lone kunoichi and her perverted sensei.

She stood in the middle of the room looking at the corpse like form if her carnation haired apprentice, her breathing and heart monitor were the only evidence that was life in her fragile looking frame. She turned her gaze towards Kakashi, her heart bled for the man. He lost more than any of them could ever imagine. They both have. A sad smile danced across her lips. It was times like these that reminded her that they were still human after all. They bled and felt fatigue just like anybody else. They could die just as easily as anybody else. Right then and there they didn't look untouchable, indestructible or invincible. They were normal at that moment in time and needed normal lives every once in a while.

Tsunade moved towards Sakura, her motherly instincts took over, she carefully traced the bruises on her face as if she might break by adding too much pressure. She healed the bruises sending more chakra to check for internal injuries.

Once she was done she proceeded to work on Kakashi. Healing all of his bruises seeing as Sakura done a good job at healing his major wounds during their mission. The medics only done away with some bruises, not being able to heal h entirely because his chakra forced theirs out identifying it as foreign chakra. It only accepted Sakura, Katsuyu and Tsunade's healing chakra.

When she finished, she took a seat next to the window staring out into the open space of Konoha. Her hangover had already disappeared. Shizune would understand. She would understand why Tsunade left her desk littered with paperwork to be here. She just had to. She knew what a bounty could do but knowing what it could do and witnessing what it could do were two entirely different things. Every village wanted both Sakura and Kakashi as their weapons or dead since the day they killed the Akatsuki. Pein and Itachi had already been dead the expense of Naruto and Sasuke's, oh how she missed that knuckleheaded ninja. She remembered his crescent fallen face when they failed to bring Sasuke back

Sasuke died killing Itachi. He helped Naruto kill Pein then betrayed them all by literally stabbing Naruto in the back. Naruto's death led to the death of the Akatsuki by the remaining members of team seven. They also killed other villages saw them as a threat.

Every time she sees them they seem more dead on their feet. She fears for their sanity and well-being. Sakura suffers from heartbreak while Kakashi suffers from survivors took Gai's death to heart. He might not admit it in a million years but the Green Beast was one of his best and most trusted friends, as obnoxious as he was.

She really hoped that they would wake up soon because she had one last mission for them and sure as hell prayed they were mentally stable enough to handle it. The hospital room's door made a creaking sound as it slowly opened, revealing a pair of curious brown orbs.

Sighing, "Come in Shizune, there's no need to stand like a statue by the door. " She said tiredly.

Shizune entered the room shutting the door softly. She looked ragged with stress. Tsunade had been vague about the last mission that she was sending them on.

"Shizune."

A sinking feeling settled in Shizune's stomach, telling her whatever her mentor had to say would not sit well with her.

"I think It's time we use the jutsu. " She stated.

Her heart jumped to her throat, as always her gut was right. She would not wish that fate upon anybody, being able to see your loved ones but not able to hold them and cry. No she would not, at least they had each other.

*****XXX*****

Two weeks later...

Sakura's eyelids felt heavy and strained as she tried to open them.

She gave up feeling extremely fatigued and dehydrated. Her heart monitor sped up alerting the medics to the fact that she woke up. She had been comatose for the past two weeks. Since the suicidal mission Kakashi awoke a week earlier than she did. Every day he would visit the memorial stone from five in the morning till seven. He would start training from seven till lunch time. Afterwards he would get lunch at Ichiraku. Then he would spend the rest the afternoon with a comatose Sakura and even slept there during the night, refusing to sleep anywhere else until she woke up. That had been his daily routine for the entire week.

The medics rushed into the room checking her vitals and handing her a glass of water. Thanking them she downed it greedily.

Suddenly the door shot open revealing a relieved Tsunade and an equally relieved Shizune following hot on her heals.

"Everybody out!" She demanded. The medics within the room gave her questioning looks as they stood rooted to their spots.

"EVERYBODY OUT NOW! BEFORE I FIRE OR END UP KNOCKING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU UNTO NEXT CENTURY!" She roared. With that said the medics scrambled out leaving with their lives and jobs intact.

Sakura's body felt numb as she laid there motionlessly staring at the stark white ceiling. Her pink locks were in a frazzled state. Her head throbbed painfully. She could still feel some traces of sweat and grime. All in all, she felt dirty and tired.

"Sakura, my Kami I'm so sorry. I didn't know that the mission was a setup. It seemed all too real." She apologised frantically.

"It's okay. Tsunade-Shishou." She croaked. She pushed herself into an upright position. Shizune left hurriedly to get her a glass of water. She watched Sakura down it greedily as she waited patiently for the glass. Thanking Shizune for the glass of water, the pinkette stared curiously at her mentor.

"What happened? As far as I know the two of you were dropped off by Akemi in a comatose state. Kakashi for some odd reason won't tell me anything." Tsunade said exasperated.

She looked quizzically at Kakashi as he left before giving Tsunade her full attention. She explained in detail recounting the events since they left to the time they encountered the Anbu squad. Her head felt like it was spinning setting off a slightly nauseating feeling.

Frowning, Tsunade looked worried at her apprentice. She sure as he'll wished it hadn't come to this, now she was going to send them on a mission that was going to change their lives for good.

Shizune looked perplexed at the hokage. Wondering what exactly was running through the blonde's mind. The air conditioner sent a slight chill dancing through the room. Konoha was sporting its ever present infamous summer heatwave. Sakura stared at Tsunade wondering what was bothering her so much. If only she knew she'd probably faint.

"Get some rest, tell Kakashi he has to also. You're off for the remainder of the day. Meet me in my office at five o'clock sharp tomorrow morning. I have one last assignment for you." She said. She left the room to catch up on some much needed sleep and sake. Kami knows she didn't get much these last two weeks. Shizune followed closely.

Sighing, laying her head back on the pillow. She noted that it was well past two in the afternoon. Kakashi chose that particular moment to enter the hospital room.

"I'm assuming you told the hokage everything and by the look of it I'm saying it went rather well, the room is still intact." He stated.

"Yep." She pinched the bridge of her nose as a slight flush layered itself across her cheeks.

"I brought lunch." He said holding out two boxes of Ichiraku ramen takeout. Seeing as Naruto was no longer with them they deemed it fitting enough to carry on his raven eating legacy.

*****XXX*****

**Thanks for reading guys. Enjoy your day people :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Naruto, just the plot to my story.**

*****XXX*****

**Chapter 2**

She has been released from hospital over five hours ago. It was quarter past six in the evening and she was dying for a hot shower, a cup of steaming hot tea and a solid eight hours sleep because let face it a coma hardly counts as sleep. She trudges begrudgingly through the streets, civilians and shinobi alike stayed out of her way as not to anger her, the lone kunoichi of team 7.

Her apartment complex came into view. It was made from a sturdy wood material thanks to Yamato. Half of Konoha had been rebuilt within a year thanks to his wood release ability. She tiredly trekked up the flight of stairs.

Disabling all the traps that surrounded her front door she fumbled for her keys in the pockets of her coat. On could never be too careful, the war had proven that, even Konoha had traitors within her walls Mizuki, Danzo and Orochimaru were proof enough. Succeeding in unblocking and unlocking her front door, she stepped into her apartment shutting the door behind her. She gradually began to peel her clothing layer by layer from her body, dumping them unceremoniously onto the wooden floor as she made her way towards the bathroom at an antagonising paste.

Standing completely nude in front of the bathroom door she gently pushed it open. The twenty-one-year-old kunoichi stared at herself in the mirror, distaste displayed clearly in her viridian eyes. Her hair stood matted to her face, there were dark bags under her eyes despite being in a coma induced sleep for two weeks. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she turned the shower to the hottest she could stand. Feeling water warm gradually she lathered shampoo into her hands, before attacking he r hair viciously, giving it a thorough wash. After making sure that her head was rid of shampoo residue and dirt alike she continued to scrubbing her skin raw. Satisfied that she was squeaky clean she turned the water off.

Drying her hair before wrapping herself in a fluffy black towel she carefully secured her damp hair in a bun with a spare senbon. A trick she learned from Shizune.

Making her way to her bedroom she began to rummage through her draws for clean clothes and underwear. She noted sorely that most of her clothes were in her laundry basket because she left for the mission when she was supposed to do her laundry then she landed up in a catatonic state. She settled for a pair of black underwear, booty shorts and a dark red tank top. Her room was decorated in dark colours. Anyone who visited would be shocked to find out.

**### Flashback ###**

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

**The carnation haired girl cracked an eye open only to find that her clock read ten minutes pass seven. Cursing whoever was interrupting her sleep wishing them a slow and painful death. She would personally see to it. She had arrived at home a little over three hours ago completely drained of chakra and on the brink of exhaustion. **

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

**"I'm coming!" She shouted before hopping out of bed putting on a pair of sweatpants. She only slept in her tank top and panties. **

**BANG! BANG! BANG! **

**"I said I'm coming!" She shouted, irritated by the person's incessant banging on her door.**

**BANG! BA-**

**"I FUCKING SAID I'M COMING YOU BASTARD! IF YOU DON'T CEASE YOUR PERSISTENT BANGING ON MY DOOR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IN THE MOST PAINFUL WAY POSSIBLE!" She shrieked, she was beyond furious. Stalking towards the door she yanked it open to find Konoha's number one knuckleheaded ninja.**

**"Ohayo Sakura-chan." He greeted her eagerly. **

**"Ohayo Naruto. What are you doing here?" She asked barely containing her anger towards the blonde. She was tempted to skip past the formalities and just gut him on the spot.**

**"Do you want to get some ramen for breakfast?" He asked oblivious to the medic's fatigue and anger. **

**"Naruto you know I had an emergency at the hospital last night. You were there. You also remember bringing me home at four in the morning unless you were drunk. You understand how very irritated and fatigued I'm feeling at this moment in time. So you do know that right now I'm one step from gutting you from head to toe." She seethed. It was true the blonde was there all night waiting for Sakura to finish. **

**"Oh. I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I completely forgot." He sounded so defeated.**

**Taking in his deflated disappointed expression she immediately felt guilty.**

**"Fine come inside you knuckle head, let me get dressed first." She said. His face brightened immediately. Her living room was made of neutral colours and not at all like Konoha's population speculated. The only person who actually saw knew what her house looked like on the inside was Kakashi when he refused to go to the hospital.**

**He glanced around her bedroom taking in the black walls and crimson and maroon bedsheets. Her room was totally different from what he expected. **

**"Sakura-chan, I didn't know that your room was so dark." He said.**

Smiling fondly at the memory that presented her as she made her tea. Weak and sweet just the way she liked it. She yawned and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Sipping the hot beverage slowly as it soothed her into a peaceful demeanour. Placing the empty cup in the sink, she made sure her traps were enabled and switched the lights off. He emergency kunai tucked safely under her pillow, she was out like a light.

She smelled charred flesh. Rocks were falling everywhere. She was bound by chakra strings. Kakashi stared at her, his sharingan exposed and bleeding. He looked beaten and broken, and much to her horror the smell of charred flesh was coming from him.

She felt hot tears trailing down her cheek. She was scared for the first time in the past half a decade. The mission had gone horrendously wrong. The last time she felt so scared was when she had lost Naruto. She didn't want to lose Kakashi too.

She struggled against her binds, desperate to break free and save her partner. A maniacal laughter bounced off the walls of the cave. The Anbu they had been fighting stepped out of the shadows. His face slip into a large shark like grin that could be considered as predatory. He held his katana behind Kakashi's neck. Her eyes conveyed her panicked. He enjoyed watching her squirm.

"Watch him die pinkie. When I'm done with him you're next." He said as he cut Kakashi's head from his body. Satisfaction washed over him as he watched Kakashi's corpse join the pool of blood on the floor.

She thrashed violently. She wanted to rip him limb from limb. That she'll kill him more brutally than any other Akatsuki member that she ever killed but her voice eluded her. The closer he came the more she reversed until her back hit the wall. He smiled sadistically. She had nowhere to run.

"Goodbye kunoichi." He said with sadistic glee that rivalled Orochimaru. He impaled her heart with the sword.

She swore as she woke abruptly her fingers held a death grip on the kunai. Sweat streamed down her face in rivers. She looked at her clock and swore again. Two hours, that's how long she slept. Two bloody hours. The nightmare played at her heart strings like a broken record. Her frantic heartbeats began to set at a more normal pace.

The recollection of the nightmare made her shudder. She was in no mood to sleep again. _**Great, just fan-freaking-tastic, no decent night's sleep for me. **_

Sighing in defeat she got up and made some tea. Sinking into the black couch with a novel and another cup of tea.

Halfway through the book she began to feel drowsy and promptly fell asleep. She stretched across the couch catching a dreamless slumber. Her alarm in her bedroom went of pulling the kunoichi out of her snoozing state and back to reality. She made her way to her bedroom and stopped the irritating device. She created two shadow clones one was making breakfast whole the other was French braiding her long hair while she brushed her teeth.

She dug into her breakfast at a rapid that Naruto would be proud of. People often told her that she eats more than Naruto but what they didn't know was that she converted the food into chakra and stored it into her Yin seal by using a tiny amount of chakra to speed up her already fast metabolism.

Once she washed all the dishes she set out making he ray to the Hokage's tower.

"Ohayo Tsunade-shishou" She greeted.

"Ohayo Sakura. You're early." She stated.

"Yo"

"You're early for once Kaka-sensei. Why do you never use the door?" Sakura said.

"Ah... but where's the fun in that Sakura-chan." He said with an eye crinkling smile.

"Enough fooling around Hatake. I would like to get this mission over and done with." Tsunade said.

Kakashi moved from his perch on the windowsill to stand by the carnation haired medical ninja.

"This will be your last mission that you'll be receiving from me." She said as she glanced at their baffled expressions. She pulled a wooden box and two scrolls out of the draw in her desk. One big and one small scroll. She opened the box and took out a ring with a red diamond on it and a necklace with a black diamond. She gave the ring to Sakura and the necklace to Kakashi. The larger scroll burnt a bright fiery orange and the smaller one had a light purple glow.

"You'll be sent into the past before all of this began, before Sasuke defected from the village, exactly a year before team 7 graduates from the academy. The jewellery I gave you will enable you to give people their memories of what happened during our time line back. However, you have to be very careful whose memory you give back because the jewellery takes at least a week of your life span and we don't want crucial information in the hands of the wrong people. Sakura your one will be able to unlock the memories of a male and Kakashi your one will be able to unlock the memories of a female. You are to make sure that the war doesn't happen or happens on a lesser scale at any cost. Sasuke should not get the curse seal if it can be avoided. You have to give the purple scroll to Hiruzen-sensei and this orange one you will send you back in time. You have to sign the scroll like you would do with a summons scroll the only difference is that you fuse your chakra with your blood before signing. Once the jutsu is activated the scroll will disintegrate leaving you with no way back. This is beyond an S-class mission and has to be kept under strict control at all times. We cannot afford a single slip up. Do you understand?" She finished.

"Hai Hokage-sama." They replied.

"Before I forget you have to report to Inoichi and Shikaku after you have informed Hiruzen-sensei. They helped me to create the jewellery and the juts before I left as a last line of defence. They are important allies to have especially when you don't want Danzo to find out. You activate the jutsu in the jewellery by letting some of your chakra trickle into it causing a pulsing notion and repeating their name in your head three times. They have to be directly in your line of sight. That's all." She said.

Sakura opened the scroll signed her name, Kakashi followed suit. They began to vanish as the scroll burnt before their eyes.

"Good luck." Was the last thing they heard before they disappeared completely

*****XXX*****

She shot into an upright position, her eyes scanning the room for any potential threats. She was in her old room lying in her bed under dark pink and red comforters her long locks spilt in every possible direction. She felt different, she felt weaker, she felt smaller. Slipping out of bed her feet touched the cold wooden only to retract it again.

_**Kami-Sama it's freezing!**_

_Inner is that you?_

_**No it's the bogeyman, of course it's me Baka.**_

_It's been a while. _

_**Yeah it has.**_

She slipped it out of the blankets again this time embracing the cold. She walked towards the mirror staring intently at herself. She was not looking at Sakura the blossomed, highly intelligent, incredibly strong twenty-one-year-old kunoichi she was staring at the extremely weak, shy, intelligent eleven-year-old academy student.

Everything was so surreal. It was grey and blurred, no longer the defined black and whites of the world. Her yin seal was missing; she was skinnier due to thee lack if muscle that she painstakingly took notice of. She also had to work on her low chakra reserves but that could be solved easily enough.

Kakashi woke up sharingan blazing but calmed after he remembered what he was supposed to do. His room in this time line was much tidier than that in his previous time. He evaluated everything with a critical eye.

Everything was as it was down to the scent of rainforest and wet sandal wood. He sighed in contentment, so deep in forgotten delight he let the purple scroll slip out of his grasp.

He slipped out of bed to retrieve the scroll. His body felt slower than his previous one, the wonders war can do for your body by keeping you on your toes. He needed to find Sakura before doing anything else that includes getting lost on the road of life. He pushed senses as far as soon he could. He picked her faint signature all the way to the civilian district on the other side of the village.

Shutting the door behind him he took to the roof tops.

She had just finished brushing her hair. It needed to be cut it was a little too long for her taste. Maybe she should ask to cut it for her but then again that would be a bad idea considering still in their phase of rivalry something she regretted initiating in the first place.

Maybe she should seek out Naruto soon and a make amends for being such a hitch to him before and after they placed in teams. Her mother always seemed to have some sort of a problem with team seven even with Sai. She hated Naruto for being a jinchuriki. Then Sasuke for leaving the village and becoming a missing ninja. Kakashi at some point also became an irritation towards her mother because of his supercilious and kind of care free nature. Then there was Sai with his non-existent people skills who her said has less emotions than a rock. However, Sakura almost always reigned her temper at the last minute, _almost. _The time that she did not bode well for them, at times they wouldn't speak for weeks on end no matter the effort her father put in to get them to make amends. Her father on the other hand was just as laid back as Kakashi and often made the lamest of jokes. Even when she was younger her mother never approved of her being in the academy and when she became Tsunade's apprentice she basically disowned wasn't like their relationship was fantastic to begin with.

She could fell the faint trace of Kakashi's chakra lingering by the window as sat waiting patiently for her to let him in.

"Are you decent?"

"You can come in you know Kaka-kun. Nothing has stopped you in the past so why now."

"You make me sound like a degenerated and depraved old man, you wound me Saku-chan." He mocked hurt as jumped through her bedroom window.

"You might as well be Kaka-kun with the way you read those port books in public and giggle at almost every single paragraph. It actually shouldn't surprise me a bit."

"Ouch Saku-chan, that hurt right here. I think I might die by your words sooner than by the hands of my enemy." He placed his hand over his heart.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and grabbed her scrolls.

"Let's go."

They took off into the crisp morning air hot on Kakashi's tail.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was going through his hokage duties as he would any other day. Sorting mission according to their different rankings. He was having a relatively normal day, that was until his assistant came bursting through the doors of his office.

"Hokage-sama..." she panted.

"Yes Mika" He said politely.

" Hatake Kakashi and his pink haired companion are demanding that they see you immediately. They won't leave until they do" She said.

"Very well send them in." Well this should be interesting.

"Hai Hokage-sama. " She bowed respectfully before she nearly sprinted out of the room to tell them that they may enter.

"Oh ago Hokage-sama." They greeted in unison.

"Kakashi, it has been a while, and who is your pretty friend?" He asked.

"Sakura, Haruno Sakura Hokage-sama." She said. Her eyes bore a sombre expression and looked beyond her years. Eyes that should not have been on a child as young as herself.

"With all due respect Hokage-sama will you please sound proof the room and send your Anbu away." She asked politely, the Anbu stiffened disliking what she was suggesting.

He raised a brow.

"Very well Sakura-chan." He said as he dismissed the Anbu. She relaxed her shoulders. In a rapid succession of seals, a sound proof barrier embraced the room. Sakura probed her further to make sure there were no spies in the room especially Root Anbu.

"Where do we begin?" Kakashi asked.

"From the beginning Kaka-kun. Hokage-sama what we're about to tell you may not leave this room. The only other two people who are supposed to know about it are Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi. " She said, her voice dictated how grave the situation is. He sat up straight indicating that they hand his full attention.

"We're from the future." Kakashi said. They remained silent trying to gauge his reaction but his face gave nothing away.

"How am I to believe you?" He asked. Kakashi handed him the scroll. Sarutobi's eyes widened when saw the stamp of the Hokage on the front. He opened the scroll, his eyes roamed over the scroll digesting its content. It was clearly her handwriting, but a part of him was still wary.

"What other evidence do you have?" His voice was surprisingly clan. She smiled. They watched her diamond ring give off an ominous black glow. She repeated his name in her head just like Tsunade said she must.

**Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi.**

The chakra in the necklace enveloped the room in black rays. His entire life flashed before he is eyes. The day Naruto Stoke the scroll of sealing, team seven's first C-rank turned A-rank mission, the chunin exams, the invasion and finally his death at the hands of Orochimaru.

He looked at the carnation haired girl, her name definitely did not suit her I'll. He saw her pain, her hardships, her struggle. Her face that of person who had seen war and experienced it first-hand.

"The fourth shinobi war was propelled by the forth by the destruction and the arrival of the Akatsuki. The fourth war was what led to the downfall of my generation." Her voice sounded so far off. She was reliving her most painful memories. Sarutobi stiffened at the mention of the fourth war.

"When you died Jaraiya and Naruto set out to find Tsunade-shishou to become Godaime Hokage. Later Sasuke defected from the village, Naruto trained with Jaraiya for three years. I petitioned Tsunade-shishou to become her apprentice when they left. The Akatsuki were targeting the jinchuriki stealing their tailed beasts. They captured them in order leaving only the eight tails and the nine tails left. By then the war had long since started. The master mind behind the Akatsuki was none other than the 'dead' Uchiha Obito Naruto killed him with the help of Sasuke and then Sasuke killed Naruto and in turn Kakashi and I killed Sasuke. We hunted down the remaining Akatsuki, the village was in ruins and I was the sole survivor of the Konoha twelve. We have to stop that from happening." She said. Kakashi placed his hand on her shoulder reminding her that they're in this together.

They heard the academy's bell go off. She disappeared in a flurry of petals after saying goodbye. They watched her go with smiles on their faces.

She appeared in the middle of the classroom while everybody was seated waiting for Iruka-sensei to arrive.

They stared gaping at her. She scanned the room full of baffled face acting as if she didn't just appear out of nowhere leaving petals on the floor. The only empty seat was between Shikamaru and Kiba. Everybody was still in shock, even the lazy genius was interested.

She plopped down. Ino sent her a smug look from besides the lone Uchiha. She just rolled her eyes at the overconfident blond. Iruka-sensei finally made it to class staring quizzically at the piece of flooring preoccupied by petals.

Sakura groaned, laying her head in the desk. Today was going to be a long day, a very long day indeed.

Kakashi waited outside the gates of the academy hidden amongst the foliage of the trees, wondering when his carnation haired partner in crime would show afraid he had seen all the faces of the rookie nine, he was holding back the tears for seeing them alive

A weight plopped itself on his back, he cooked his head his head to the side, his nose resting in a bun of pink strands. Her arms were classed around his neck and her legs were wrapped around his torso. She inhaled his sandal wood scent. He would always bring her comfort. They were in this together.

"Giddy up horsey." She breathed in a hush whisper as memories assaulted her vision.

**###FLASHBACK###**

**Bloodshed.**

**It was too much. The violence was too much. The walls of her village had long since collapsed around her. The streets ran red with blood of innocent civilians and loyal shinobi alike. Most of the buildings had been levelled by Pein's attack. **

**The attack held a devastating blow to her heart. The entire village was in ruins creating a haunting nightmare. She needed chakra right now or else she was going to bleed to death. She collapsed face first as her forehead kissed the gravel. **

**"Sakura, Sakura." Somebody was shouting her name but they sounded so far away. Her lips moved but the words eluded her.**

**"Sakura. " The voice was mere but a whispered shout in her terrible nightmare. Black spots intrude her vision. She saw silver hair before she blacked out.**

**"Kakashi." The name caressed her lips in a tender whisper.**

**### END OF FLASHBACK ###**

"Sakura, Sakura. Sakura Kami dammit. Snap out of it." He cursed under his breathe. She was frozen in the memories of her past which could possibly be their future again. Moments lime this would have to be kept under strict control. Oh how he was going to regret what he was about to do next.

He slapped her.

"Ouch Kaka-kun, what the heck." She slapped him back adding chakra subconsciously to the hit.

"I have been calling your name for the last several minutes." He refrained from rubbing his cheek, it stung but he would never admit it out loud. He didn't remember his skin being so sensitive. Maybe the war had hardened it even further after all.

"Oh sorry Kaka-kun." She did nothing to sooth the sting in his cheek.

"Now where do you want to go to eat?" He asked, not minding the fact that she clung to his back like a child. It has been a while since they could relax like this, he'll be damned if he let the opportunity slip by.

"Akane's dango shop." She said enthusiastically. The shop had been obliterated during the attack.

**###FLASHBACK###**

**Akane. **

**The name ran through head like a warning siren. She ran down the blood stained streets towards the familiar dango shop. The civilians ran past her in a panic mess as shinobi evacuated the area. The village was under attack. Buildings and homes alike were turned to rubble. As she neared the shop she saw the redhead desperately trying to push the jammed door open. Sakura forced her legs to move faster as a beam of light shot down from the sky, rapidly descending upon the shop.**

**She was just about to punch the wall when the beam of light hit its target. It through her off he r feet effectively knocking the wind out of her. The blast temporarily blinded her but she shook it off more worried about Akane than anything else at the moment. She looked up seeing the redhead's face twist in agony.**

**Her face paled when she saw that her friend was being crushed by the collapsed building. She jumped to her feet pumping chakra into her limbs, as she hauled the debris off of Akane. Tears streamed down her face in never ending rivers. Akane smiled at her through the agonising pain. Her friend was dying and couldn't do a hit about it because she was on the brink on chakra exhaustion. **

**Her hands lay flat out before her. Akane was clutching onto something in her right hand. Sakura ' heart broke further. She attempted to heal her but there was too much damage to her body, it would take hours healing her something Sakura didn't have. She was still smiling at Sakura despite the pain. Akane beckoned her forward, Sakura knelt down beside her fallen friend. Akane opened her hand revealing a black pendant. I was shaped as an eight petal flower, on each petal was a different colour diamond, each varying in size, the diamond eight in the middle was the largest of all. It was red in colour. The pendant was breath-taking. **

**"Sakura, listen. This pendant I'm about to give you is very important. It houses the power of all nine bijuu. It gives you the ability to communicate telepathically with the bijuu. I was sent to the future to by my father Hashirama Senju. It has been passed down through my family for generations. It gives you the ability to control the chakra of the bijuu nut you have to mix some if yours so that you are not harmed." She said.**

**"I can't accept this Akane-chan." She said between sobs.**

**"Yes you will, now go! I don't have much time. Good bye Saku-chan, I love you imouto. " She said, placing the pendant in her hand as she drew her last breath.**

**"AKANE!" She screamed shaking the redhead's lifeless body. She made a promise then and there that she wasn't going to fail her.**

**### END OF FLASHBACK ###**

She slid off of Kakashi's back. She wanted to cry. Akane was laughing with the customers. Kakashi saw Sakura clutching the pendant around her neck staring at the redhead in front of them.

The took a seat near the window. Relishing in the peace that they longed for. It was a wonderful thing, the ignorance that these people lived in was complete bliss and they hoped to keep it that way.

"Hello welcome to Akane's dango shop. How may I help you?" A young brunette girl greeted them.

"Two plates of Anko dango." Sakura said, the smile on her face unwavering.

"It's good to be back." She said leaning her chin into her outstretched palm.

"Ah."

They sat in silence watching the people pass by. Ten minutes later their waitress returned, her name was Mikoto. Sakura swore she heard that name somewhere before but she couldn't place it. They thanked he before they dug in. They ate in silence with the occasional chattering of people and squeals of children as they played.

"SAKURA-CHAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT OLD MAN." Naruto shouted from the other side of the window.

Sakura looked crossed between mortification and irritation while Kakashi just started on in amusement. The civilians and ninja stopped what they were doing, curious to what the knucklehead was making a fuss about. She stood up from her seat, dango long since forgotten. Kakashi stood up and followed her out. He did not want to miss out on what promised to an entertaining show.

"Naruto-baka, you're making a scene." She seethed.

" Oi. What are you doing with Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked ignoring the angry pinkette (not a smart move on his part).

"Hm. Are you talking to me?" He asked seemingly disinterested but Sakura could tell he was barely containing his mirth.

Wham!

Naruto was sent flying across the road. She stood like a predator ready to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. Kakashi placed his hand on her shoulder causing her to tense further. He squeezed her shoulder lightly in response. She relaxed her posture. If Naruto's outburst didn't get everyone attention, then Sakura sending him flying across the street surely did. Who knew an eleven-year-old had so much strength

Naruto stood up looking at Sakura as if she grew a second head. He knew she was string but he never knew she was that strong. He laughed nervously glancing warily at the petal haired girl as if she might just hit him at any second.

"Ah, I got to go." Kakashi said leaving in a puff of smoke.

Sakura went back inside realising that he stuck her with the bill _**again.**_

*****XXX*****

She felt completely cantankerous with herself. She has been working on this exercise with no sign of improving any time soon due to Kakashi's insatiable curiosity.

He was distracting as always with the multitude of ridiculous questions he was throwing at her for the past two hours. She hardly found it amusing at all.

"Saku-chan where does orange get its name from?" He asked for the billionth time.

"For the last time Kakashi I don't have all of the answers to everything. You're the genius so you figure it out." She seethed.

"But Saku-chan, I'm bored and you have to know where orange gets its name from." He said childishly.

" You know Kaka-kun for a Jounin you can be the most childish, insufferable and mildly curious person at times even worse than Naruto if you want to be."

"How much longer are you going to be at it Saku-chan?" He asked, ennui getting the better of him.

"Kaka-kun if you shut up then I'll be able to concentrate better don't you think or would you rather be punted all the way to Suna." Kakashi paled, choosing to shut up because he valued his life more than aggravating the carnation haired kunoichi.

She smiled, wonderful, now she could get back to the task at hand. She focused her chakra into her palms and began tugging at the water molecules in the air. If she could do it more effortlessly with less chakra she'd have an endless supply of water at hand.

She could feel ... No matter how slight the water droplets were balancing above her palms was evidence enough. A few more hours wouldn't hurt anybody. She pushed more of her chakra outwards careful not to use too much then the technique becomes useless. Eventually she managed to reach a bigger ball. She needed a gourd made for holding large volumes of water.

"I'm done." A large grin broke across her face.

"Finally I thought that you'd never finish." He said.

"Kaka-kun."

"Yes Saku-chan." He said nonchalantly.

"Urusai."

"...and that was the end of the third world war." Iruka finished.

Sakura glanced lazily at her blank notebook in front of her. Shikamaru was asleep as usual. It has been a week since she started pulling water out of the air. The progress she made was wonderful or so she thought. It was time for recess if you could even call it that. She tried to nudge Shikamaru awake but he wouldn't budge. He remained wrapped in his cocoon like slumber. She drew slight water droplets from the air and sprinkled it onto his face.

"Huh..."

Well that certainly roused the lazy soon to be ninja from his sleep.

"Shikamaru it's time to go outside." Had it been anybody else she probably wouldn't be wasting her time and just left them there to sleep all they want.

"Mendokusei..."

"Hm. Suit yourself lazy Nara." She huffed.

She could feel a headache coming on at an alarming rate.

_Why the hell is everything so difficult?_

**Because your muscle mass is pathetic, you moron.**

_Oh shut up. We're the same person so technically you calling yourself a moron._

Groaning she collapsed against a tree that looked like it was about to throw the towel in as well.

_If Tsunade-shishou could see me now._

**She'd kick your ass.**

Snort._ Most probably yeah._

**I'm hungry.**

_You're always hungry. How in Kami-sama's name is that even possible. You're just another persona in my head._

**Baka. We're the same person you said it yourself. If I'm hungry you're hungry. I have to remind you of this every time, because Kami knows you're about as oblivious as a rock when your own health is concerned.**

She let out a scream of frustration as she tried to make the wood clone but failed miserably. Not even Kakashi could get it right because it just wasn't really within his range of elements

"Is everything alright? I thought that I heard a scream."

**Of course you heard her scream. I'm pretty sure that they heard her all the way to Suna.**

_Oh shut up._

"Hai sorry that was me." She scratched the back of her head sheepishly a habit she picked up from Naruto. The man had a creepy stare.

_Glad to see that Yamato-taichou is alive and well._

**Yeah...**

_What, no snarky comments. _She mentally raised an eyebrow. For once Inner really had nothing to say.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh.. I was practicing using wood style clones but I only manage to get them solid for a second before they turn to mud."

He furrowed his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing. To find another wood style user was truly a miracle in stared at her as if trying to figure out a piece of a puzzle.

"Do it again." He said.

"Moku Bushin no Jutsu." A wooden clone appeared of the ground. Then proceeded to turn to mud, AGAIN! Seriously, she couldn't do anything right. She swore the gods were out to get her.

"You're putting too much water type chakra into the clone causing the earth to become muddy." Yamato said as he observed her.

She performed the jutsu one last time pulling back some of her water nature chakra. The results were immediately noticeable. The clone was a solid wooden copy of herself in her haggard state. She nearly wept with joy had it not been for the ninja present. A grin that could rival Lee's split her face in half.

"See there you got it."

"Thank you for the help senpai." She bowed.

"Just Yamato is fine." He said.

"Yamato-sensei, arigatou."

"You're welcome..." He trailed off.

"Sakura."

"Sakura-chan." He said before disappearing into the foliage. Her tensed shoulders relaxed. Her erratic breathing evened out. Now how to get home?

Falling. Soft. Warm.

_I feel so exhausted. So hungry. I need to eat something. I need food. I might just eat ramen. Oh Kami I'm starting to sound like Naruto. If I'm not careful I'm going to start shouting believe it at the end of every sentence._

**Do that and I'll remove you of control of your body.**

Groaning. She pushed herself up from the bed. tonight was the traditional clan meeting for all the minor and major clan heads. Thus leaving her with an empty

She shoved herself upright flinging her feet over the side of her bed. Her hair was relentless in its insubordinate behaviour. Her locks were scattered in a bird's nest state. Gently running her fingers through the loose tresses she got up and left the room.

**Hmm. What to eat. **She rummaged through the fridge grabbing anything edible or that can be made edible that she could find.  
The smell of steamed vegetables and cooked meat permeated the air.

Kami-sama, I'm so hungry. Screw my diet meat is essential. However, starving myself is unhealthy. Meat here I come.


End file.
